Keith Thornton

“It’s a world-wide organisation; all the men that are members are good men, and our aim is to make good men better.”

“Freemasonry has taught me how to be a better man.”

Keith Thornton has been a long-standing member of Freemasonry for over 70 incredible years. During his time, the organisation has taught him to be more understanding and appreciative of people from all walks of life, and through his work with Freemasonry he has opened himself up to a diverse range of people from many different countries and cultures. Keith believes he is all the better for it.

When discussing why he is proud to be a Freemason, Keith says: “because we share good will and similar interests, and because people of good standing always make me proud.” Keith admits that when he first joined he didn’t know much about the organisation, despite both his father and grandfather being members before him, but Keith soon embraced the many changes Freemasonry has gone through over the years and supports today’s more open and transparent attitude.

Having joined the Craft at the tender age of 20, Keith lives by the guiding principles he was taught since day one: brotherhood, charity, respect and integrity. Now, aged 90, Keith is one of the most experienced members of the Masonic community, and still takes an active role in the organisation. In 2011 he founded the Seavic Lodge, a place where he could funnel his energy into charitable works as well as spending quality time with his family. Never one to relax in retirement, one project Keith is currently working on is expanding Freemason relations to Southeast Asia, where there are now 65 members who reside in the area. He may be getting on in years, but the flame of his passion to improve both his own life and the lives of others hasn’t diminished at all.